Although he is now retired, Norm Bigelow performed for years as one of America's leading escape artists. His unique style was avant garde and revolutionary, breathing fresh life into a field that was worn out from its Vaudeville heyday.

Mystery shrouds Bigelow's beginning. One newspaper cutting I have says that he started performing escapes in 1964 while another clearly says 1953. Quite a difference. Either way, Bigelow first became interested in escapes at the age of 8, like many, after reading about the expolits of Houdini at home in Fitchburg. He still remembers the book - Gibson's, Houdini's Escapes and Magic. His early performances were for Scout groups, church events and the Weyerhauser Paper Co. By 15, he says that local lock firms were referring jobs to him.

On his 16th birthday, he went to see Frank Reno, a vaudeville style escape artist living in Southbridge who took him on as an apprentice. Even at this age, Bigelow had started forming ideas about his much celebrated Doors of Death escape. He left school after completing 10th grade. At 18, an agent took over his management and Bigelow's first professional performances were over New England. He left home when his mother became worried that his brother might become an escape artist too.

Norm then studied in Rochester, New York, at the Lockmaster School and by 22 was employed by the Caola brothers lock company where he headlined in papers for cracking tough safes all over the country.

For years Bigelow's act consisted of three escapes:

Trial by Fire
In this classic feat which he originated, although also performed by the likes of Mario Manzini (a Bigelow student) among others, Bigelow would be handcuffed to a table in a single pair of police handcuffs before a ramp of gunpowder leading up to his face was lit. It flared across the stage and finally exploded in a ball of fire where the performer sat in about 60secs. The aim was to pick his way out of the cuffs in full view.

Straitjacket escape
In colleges, he would perform this on the floor, although sometimes suspended when facilities permitted, and often with yards of thick rope on top. I do not recognise the style of the jacket used - canvas, leather straps (fixed unlike Humane Restraint), crotch strap, no arm loops and no decoration on body. Possibly custom made obtained from Reno?

The Doors of Death
Another Bigelow special which will be discussed in more detail on the escapes page soon. A spectacular feat.

For a while, Bigelow performed with Irving Weiner, known on stage as, 'Mr Fingers', who's sleight of hand act complimented Bigelow's dangerous escapes. Among other natty talents, Bigelow has been known to hammer needles deeply into his thigh (showing up the old human blockhead trick).

Also a magician, Bigelow once featured a 'Floating Lady' trick and he also had a kids show at one time - which I boldly assume did not contain his dangerous escape stunts.

A very creative mind, Norm claims he can think up 6-7 escape ideas a day but just has difficulty trying to do them all. He has been sealed in a transparent, airtight plastic bag with a boa constrictor - escaping with snake intact inside the still sealed bag. He invented a device in which he was restrained in a kneeling position - and if he didn't escape in time his head would be exposed to a family of tarantulas. In his gas chamber escape, he was straitjacketed and dumped inside the windowed device which was locked shut. It then filled with carbon dioxide and other poisnous gasses which served to suffocate him if he did not make a successful escape.

Amoung the stock escapes, Bigelow used to regularly bridgejump - sometimes from up to 60ft, has performed the water torture cell, and does the up-side-down straitjacket escape - often when tied with thick rope (a less often seen attraction). He had a $100 challenge to any police department that could come up with a pair of handcuffs that he couldn't get loose from - and he built his collection by keeping all challenge items.

Of course, Bigelow has brushed with death. My favourite story is how he passed out once when escaping from his straitjacket and then fell into the orchestra.

Bigelow is another person who claims to be the reincarnation of Houdini. When challenged to prove this, he says he can't but fairly reasons that, on the other hand, he can't find anbody to prove he's not. More interesting trivia: he used to say his show was 90% legitimate with a touch of showmanship thrown in. This clever saying covered him as necessary. More trivial trivia: Norm was once known to withdraw into a teepee in his garden without speaking to anyone for quite a long period of time.

What else to know? Copperfield's impolding building escape or 'Ten Storey Tomb' escape was devised by Bigelow. Copperfield used to play a showreel of this escape (which also featured on one of his specials) during his live show while he 'prepared' for his flying. There was great speculation that Lance Burton's buried alive stunt a few years back in Death Valley was performed (without permission) using a method that Bigelow had previously published.

Bigelow called himself, "The World Master Escape Artist". Another one for the list.